In the short story "A Worn Path" the main character's name is Phoenix, which alludes to "the mythical bird that consumed itself in fire after five hundred years and rose renewed from its ashes.” Which relates to the main motif, death. Phoenix, the main character, is a very old woman who has a dying grandson who she goes many times to get medicine in town for him so that he can live. Every time she goes she takes a very long walk to get there, which she has traveled many times. In which the title hints the “Worn Path”. Death was shown all throughout the short story by the many things that happened to her while on her journey to get her grandson’s medicine. Even though she is very old she has been through a lot and through the many of the obstacles that she went on, like facing the man with the dog, she would not let anything get in her way because she was determined to do what she had to do. Which was to get the m
edicine for her grandson to keep him alive. There are a few symbols that Phoenix does to show death. One of those symbols is that Phoenix always wears a red bandana wherever she goes, which symbolizes blood. There were many quotes that revealed the dreary symbols of death. One of those many quotes that explained the motif death was, “Down in the hollow was the mourning dove" makes the reader clearly think of death. She knows that she is going to die eventually but is trying to make the best of it by helping out her grandson and she refers to her struggle by showing some of the symbols that make us think of life and death and age are: "Seem like there is chains about my feet" make it clear that Phoenix is thinking about death or how she used to once be a slave. Phoenix seems to be very emotional over the fact that to her all she has left in the world is her little grandson and she is doing the best to keep him alive. The other symbol
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